Outerwear

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to outerwear ( 3 ) comprising a plurality of straps ( 4 ) which are arranged on a lower region of the outerwear and comprising a belt ( 1 ). The belt can be used as a pants belt and at the same time can be brought into engagement with the straps of the outerwear.

The present invention relates to outerwear, a back protector and clothing.

A connection between trousers and a top part to provide a joint article of clothing is often limited by the fact that like US 2005/0114979 A1, DE 10 2004 063 586 A1, WO 00/47071, JP 3-115611 or DE 29619508 U1 they are only suitable for trousers having integrated joining means, such as horizontal zippers. Other joining means which have to be sewed or fixed to the trousers are also known. Velcro connections are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,916, U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,982, U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,558 B1 or DE 3228720 A1. J 61-11712 shows a body warmer-like snow protector. A hook-like connection is known from FR 2803177 A3.

JP 2011190547 describes a snow protection or powder skirt which can be attached to trousers with belt loops. In this connection, a joining means is used and fixed externally to the belt. The other part of the connection is fixed to the inner side of the snow protection. The forces which can occur in a fall, in particular during winter sports, can possibly terminate this connection. CH 704437 B1 shows a back protector, the field of use of which is in motorcycling and winter sports and which has a belt-like band.

DE 1217297 describes a device for attaching trousers, skirts or the like to a jacket, blouse or vest, wherein an elastic ribbon has to be threaded through a holding device.

The object of the present invention is to create outerwear which can easily be connected to trousers. In particular, it shall be possible to connect the outerwear to any commercially available trousers without the trousers having been adapted in a special way to the connection to the outerwear. This serves for producing overall clothing which connects the outerwear to the trousers without getting out of place and/or protects the wearer in such a way that foreign particles, such as snow, cannot reach the body of the wearer via the waistband, and/or offers an all-around closed weather guard for the wearer in the waist region.

The above described object is achieved by the outerwear according to claim 1. Advantageous developments and/or embodiments of the invention are specified in the appending claims.

In connection with the present invention, the expression “outerwear” is understood to mean a piece of clothing which with respect to the wearer is worn at least in part above the belt, e.g. a jacket, a vest, a snow protection, a protector, a bib or any combination thereof. In other words, the term “outerwear” as used in connection with the present invention might also be comprehended as “upper clothing”.

According to the invention, the outerwear can be a ski jacket or a windbreaker jacket or an all-weather jacket or a weather-proof jacket.

According to the invention, the outerwear can be provided with a snow protection which can preferably be attached to the outerwear by means of a zipper and/or is firmly attached to the outerwear.

According to the invention, the outerwear can be a snow protection, the lower region of which is provided with straps.

According to the invention, the outerwear can be a bib.

Outerwear comprises a plurality of straps arranged in a lower region of the outerwear and a belt, wherein the belt can be used as a belt for trousers and can simultaneously be connected to straps of the outerwear in holding engagement. Outerwear is clothing for the upper body, in particular in the form of a vest, i.e. without sleeves, or as a jacket with long or short sleeves or as a bib. A strap is in particular a region protruding downwardly from a lower edge of the outerwear. The strap is preferably made as a tongue, and the material of the tongue can have a single layer or a plurality layers can be joined to give a single-layer combination. In particular, the tongue has no openings or passages through which a holding element, such as a hook, a cord or a belt can be pulled.

In connection with the present invention, the expression “lower region” of the outerwear is understood to mean a region of the outerwear which with respect to the wearer is arranged in relatively close proximity to the belt of the trousers, and therefore the straps provided therein can be brought into holding engagement with the belt and/or can be connected to the belt.

According to the invention, the outerwear can extend below the lower region where the straps are arranged for connection to the belt of the trousers, and also further downwards, i.e. in other words that the outerwear can also cover the trousers at least in part.

According to the invention, a connection can be established between the outerwear and trousers via a belt. In contrast to known connections between outerwear and trousers, the establishment of a connection between outerwear and trousers does not require a zipper. However, the latter can be provided as an additional connection between outerwear and trousers, if desired.

As a result of straps used for the connection, the handling becomes rapid, simple and stable when the pieces of clothing are connected or separated. Furthermore, the connection does not reduce the wearing comfort. The joining means are hidden during wearing for esthetic reasons.

At least one strap of the outerwear can preferably be connected to the belt in a separable fashion by being foldable over along the lower belt edge. In this way, the joining elements, i.e. the strap(s), are not visible and a trendy design is rendered possible.

In particular, the at least one strap can be folded over inwardly from outside past the belt and along the lower belt edge, where it can be connected in separable fashion to an inwardly facing surface of the belt. As a result, a Velcro connection can be obtained with the belt. Velcro connections directly with the fabric of the trousers can be avoided in this way, as a result of which the fabric is not damaged. In particular, a Velcro connection to the trousers might accelerate the aging of the textiles by friction.

The outerwear can preferably be a winter jacket, wherein the winter jacket comprises a snow protection and the snow protection comprises at least one strap. A snow protection is a wide and all-around band which is attached to the inner side of a jacket and which as a result of the connection to the belt ensures that no snow can get under the jacket from below.

The snow protection can also be separated from the jacket. For example, it can have a zipper at the upper edge thereof for connection to the jacket and can have the described straps at the lower edge thereof. A jacket can thus be connected to the snow protection via the zipper and the snow protection can, in turn, be attached in separable fashion to an appropriate belt. In this way, the strap device can be attached to any winter jackets which have an all-around zipper on the inner side of the jacket, e.g. at the height of the waist.

Alternatively, the outerwear can be a jacket or vest which can comprise at least a back protector. Especially when a vest having a back protector is used, it is necessary to ensure that the protector does not get out of place in the case of a fall. The described attachment by means of the straps to the belt serves this purpose. Even if the belt straps of the trousers should optionally not be very tear-resistant, the belt which safely embraces the body of the wearer, additionally offers security that the protector does not get out of place in the case of a fall.

The outerwear preferably has at least three, in particular at least four and preferably six straps, wherein this number is adapted to the conventional outfit of five belt straps of the (ski) trousers.

Furthermore, the outerwear can have a maximum of ten, preferably a maximum of eight or fewer straps. When such an outerwear is used with trousers having markedly fewer straps, a strap can, under certain circumstances, directly face a belt loop of the trousers, and therefore this strap cannot be folded over for engagement with the belt. In this case, it can be folded in directly along the outerwear and thus outside the belt without contributing to the connection to the belt.

A back protector comprises at least one strap and one belt, wherein the belt can be used as a belt for trousers and can simultaneously be meshed with the at least one strap of the back protector. The most important advantage is here the better fixation of the back protector to the trousers. The horizontal and/or vertical displacement of the back protector is reduced during a fall.

Appropriate clothing comprises outerwear, a belt and trousers, wherein, in addition to loops for the attachment to the belt, the trousers do not comprise any joining elements for the direct or indirect permanent connection to the outerwear. The advantage here is a better protection from weather, in particular with activities or sport in nature.

According to the invention, very simple and favorable joining possibilities from outerwear and trousers can be created. According to the invention, the connection can be adapted in a simple way to the needs. The more the belt is tightened, the firmer and thus tighter becomes the connection.

According to the invention, the connection between the outerwear and the trousers can be created directly at the lower end of the belt and thus can create a very clean closure which protects from snow, wind and bad weather in general.

According to the invention, the belt can also have slits, through which the straps are passed to establish the connection between the outerwear and the trousers.

According to the invention, the belt can also have a continuous slit or an upper region and a lower region, wherein the straps are passed through the belt to establish the connection between the outerwear and the trousers.

The invention is described in more detail below by means of an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a belt,

FIG. 2 shows a view of a clothing top part from inside to outside,

FIG. 3 shows section A-A according to FIG. 5 as a cross-section through the connection of a belt to one of the straps,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the connection of a top part to a belt from inside,

FIG. 5 shows a view of a combination of outerwear according to the invention with trousers from behind,

FIG. 6 shows the combination of FIG. 5 when viewed from the front;

FIG. 7 shows a view of a snow protection according to the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a view of a belt for clothing according to the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a view of an arrangement of straps for attachment to outerwear according to the invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a view of an alternative embodiment of a belt for clothing according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows the belt 1 having the joining means 2 fixed on the inner side. The joining means should be fixed to the belt in several segments so as to achieve a good wearing comfort of the belt. It renders possible the full function with different belt adjustments; or the joining means should be smooth enough to fix it to the belt throughout without reducing the wearing comfort. The joining means can be in particular a Velcro connection. A Velcro connection can substantially consist of two parts, namely a first flat layer which has a plurality of small loops and a second flat layer which has a plurality of small hooks, and therefore in a Velcro connection the hooks mesh with the loops so as to establish a flat connection. The Velcro layer can preferably have the looped layer on the inner side of the belt. The below described straps 4 of the outerwear can correspondingly comprise the hooked Velcro layer. An exchange of these layers is possible. As outlined in FIG. 1, it is not the entire belt inner side that can be provided with the same Velcro layer but it can be exchanged in the central part, i.e. in the middle of the back of a person wearing the belt.

FIG. 2 shows the lower edge 10 of the inner side of a top part 3. Four straps 4 extend along the lower edge of the top part. One of the sides of the straps 4 is provided with the joining means 2, which is in particular a Velcro layer. The number of straps 4 results preferably from the number of belt loops minus one. Most trousers have five belt loops, and therefore there is a number of four straps 4. The width of the outerwear, i.e. the extension in FIG. 2 from left to right, is dimensioned in such a way that it can embrace the body of the wearer. The distance and the length of the straps are determined in the preferred embodiment by the distance of the belt loops. The aim is to make the resulting gaps 5 around the belt loops as small as possible and as large as necessary in order that persons having different waists and trousers get the best possible weather protection.

FIG. 3 shows the connection of belt 1 and strap 4 at the top part 3 in cross-section transversely through the belt 1 at a site where the belt has no loop. Furthermore, the top part of trousers 6 and the Velcro layer 2 are shown. It is shown how the fabric of the top part 3 is wrapped around the belt 1 from outside. The straps 4 begin approximately at the height of the lower edge of the belt and are folded over from below between the belt 1 and the trousers 6. The straps are folded over along the lower edge 10 of the top part behind the belt. Therefore, the straps 4 are disposed between the belt 1 and the trousers 6. The top part 3 is shown with a large bent about the belt, and there will usually result a direct contact between the outerwear and the outer side of the belt 1.

FIG. 4 shows the module of top part 3 with the belt 1 in the viewing direction from inside to outside. The trousers 6 are not shown, only the belt loop 9 is shown which embraces the belt. The straps are disposed along the inner side of the belt. In areas where a belt loop 9 is provided, there is no strap 4.

FIG. 5 shows by way of example a complete connection between outerwear 7 with integrated suspenders 8 and trousers 6 with belt loops 9 from behind. The outerwear 7 is here formed as a rear bib which is very helpful for ski or snowboard clothing, as a result of which no snow can get under the jacket and/or the trousers in the case of falls. FIG. 6 shows by way of example a full connection between outerwear with integrated suspenders 8 and trousers 6 with belt loops 9 from the front. In the waist region, no material is provided with the bib 7.

According to an embodiment (not shown), the bib or trousers bib can also be made with the front closed. Here, the bib can also be made so as to be closable at the front.

Alternatively to a bib, the described straps can be attached to a jacket. Here, they can be provided along the lower edge of the jacket or on a continuous line around the inner side of the jacket, and therefore a lower region of the jacket can reach beyond the belt downwards so as to form a protection for the posterior.

For example, the straps can be attached to the jacket by means of an arrangement of straps, as shown in FIG. 9. The arrangement has an all-around waistband 110 where six straps 104 are arranged. The four inner straps 104 are approximately twice as wide as the two outer straps 104. The lower regions of the straps 104 are in each case provided with joining devices 102 which can be e.g. Velcro fasteners or Velcro fastener parts cooperating with joining devices formed on the belt.

According to the invention, the straps 102 can have a width of about 30 to 120 mm. The straps 102 can preferably have a width of about 40 to 100 mm. More preferably, the straps 102 can have a width of about 50 to 80 mm. According to a preferred embodiment, the straps 102 have a width of about 60 mm.

According to the invention, the distances 105 between the straps can be about 30 to 200 mm. The distances 105 between the straps 102 can preferably be about 70 to 180 mm. More preferably, the distances 105 between the straps 102 can be about 100 mm to 160 mm. According to a preferred embodiment, the distances 105 between the straps 102 are about 120 mm to 150 mm. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the distances between the outermost and innermost straps 102 are smaller than the distances between the respectively middle straps 102 (i.e. in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 the distances between the second and third straps 102 and the fourth and fifth straps 102). For example, the larger distances can be about 150 mm and the smaller distances can be about 120 mm.

These embodiments have the advantage that they are suitable for a plurality of trousers where the arrangement of the belt loops is slightly different.

According to the invention, the straps can also have a greater width, e.g. such that the distance between the straps and the belt loops is as small as possible so as to form the best and tightest possible connection between the trousers and the outerwear by the straps when the straps are wrapped around the belt next to the belt loops.

FIG. 7 shows outerwear according to the invention which is made as a snow protection 11. Six straps 4 are provided on the lower region 10 of the snow protection 11. One side of the straps 4 is provided with joining means 2 where the straps 4 can be connected to appropriate joining means 2 provided at the belt to establish a connection between the snow protection and the trousers. The joining means 2 can preferably be formed as a Velcro layer to achieve a simple and rapidly separable connection.

The snow protection 11 shown in FIG. 7 has extensions 13 on both sides thereof, said extensions being provided with joining devices 14. The joining devices 14 can be press fasteners or other alternative joining devices known to a person skilled in the art, by means of which the extensions can be interconnected to arrange the snow protection around the body of the wearer in closed fashion.

According to the invention, the number of the straps 2 can be equal to the number of the belt loops plus one or equal to the number of the belt loops minus one. Most trousers have five belt loops. According to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the number of straps 2 and 102, respectively, is preferably six.

A joining means 12 is provided at the upper region of the snow protection 11 according to the invention, which is shown in FIG. 7, and the snow protection can be attached to the inner side of a jacket, e.g. a ski jacket, by said joining means. For example, a zipper can be provided as the joining means, i.e. that one half of the zipper is provided on the snow protection 11 and the other half of the zipper is provided on the jacket, and therefore the snow protection can be attached in known manner to the inner side of the jacket by closing the zipper.

The circumference of the snow protection 11 is dimensioned in such a way that the snow protection can embrace the body of the wearer. The length or extent of the snow protection thus corresponds substantially to the length of the belt or the waistband of the trousers which have to be connected to the jacket or the snow protection.

The distance and the length of the straps are determined in the preferred embodiments by the distance of the belt loops. The preferred target is here to make the resulting gaps between the straps and the belt loops as small as possible to obtain the best possible weather protection.

If it is desired that the outerwear can be connected to trousers from different manufacturers, it is also possible to provide for a certain distance between the belt loops and the straps, said distance serving for compensating the size- and manufacturer-related tolerances. In this way, the manufacturer costs can be lowered.

If the outerwear shall only fit certain trousers, the distances between the belt loops and the straps can be so small that good handling is still possible. The width of the straps should here advantageously correspond approximately to the width of a hand to ensure an easy and simple handling for establishing and terminating the connection of the outerwear to the trousers. It is clear that the width of the belt loops might then be enlarged appropriately to keep the distances between the belt loops and the straps as small as possible.

Embodiments with four or six straps are described above. They are in particular suitable for trousers having five belt straps, which are common.

The outerwear is attached as follows. First of all, the belt will be pulled through the belt loops of the trousers. Thereafter, the person puts on the outerwear. The straps are then approximately at the height of the belt. Preferably a second person pushes the straps under the belt, wherein the straps are placed at a 180° angle relative to the outerwear 3. The Velcro connection ensures a flat connection from the belt to the straps, wherein the maximum holding force thereof is in the transverse direction and/or shearing direction. By pressing the belt against the body of the wearer, the holding force is even increased. In addition, the 180° deflection effects wrapping of the belt so as to further increase the holding forces.

Ideally, the number of straps is adapted to the number of the loops of the trousers. However, since there different trousers, the number of straps can also be markedly larger than the number of loops in an alternative embodiment of the outerwear. For example, when the number of loops of the trousers is five, the number of straps can be 10 or 15. In this case, the straps, which are in the loop-free region, were used for the above described attachment. The straps which are disposed in the regions of loops of the trousers are folded over directly, i.e. outside of the loop, under the top part 3. In this case there would be initially a belt loop, then the strap 4, immediately followed by the fabric of the top part 3 on the outside, i.e. on the right-hand side of the belt 1 of FIG. 3. The width of the straps 4 can preferably be between 20% and 80% of the distance from two adjacent loops of trousers. The width of the straps can preferably be between 2 and 10 cm and the length, i.e. in a vertical direction, is at least 2 cm, preferably at least 3 cm and a maximum of 8 cm.

FIG. 8 shows a view of a belt 1 with joining means 15 provided at the ends thereof, said joining means being arranged and formed in a way known to a person skilled in the art in order that the belt 1 can be closed. The belt 1 is made in such a way that it can be worn or arranged in trousers in known manner by being passed through belt loops appropriately formed on the trousers and being then closed in accordance with the body size of the wearer. In order to connect the trousers with the upper body clothing or the outerwear, the straps are wrapped around the belt. In order to attach the straps to the belt, the straps can have joining means only in partial regions, as shown e.g. in FIG. 9, or can have joining means over the entire region, as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 shows an alternative development of a belt 101. The belt has two circumferential regions 101A and 101B which according to embodiments (not shown) of the invention, can be connected to one another in regions where no straps are provided (if the straps shall be passed between the two regions 101A and 101B and then wrapped around the upper region 101A). Correspondingly, a belt with a circumferential region can be provided with slits through which the straps are passed. As in the belt of FIG. 8, joining means 115 for closing the belt are provided at the ends 115. In this embodiment there is the possibility of passing the straps between the two regions 101A and 101B for joining the outerwear with the trousers, as a result of which the straps do not have to enclose the entire belt. This is advantageous e.g. for trousers which are equipped with very wide belts. The advantage is that a connection can then also be established with relatively short straps when only the belt is exchanged, i.e. that outerwear having straps can be used for trousers with narrow or normal belts and for trousers with wide belts.

The employed relative statements of place such as “up”, “down” or “vertical” refer in particular to a person who wears the corresponding pieces of clothing as intended and who is in an upright position. The term outerwear refers to the clothing for the upper body and not to a clothing layer worn farther outside. Furthermore, the direction “inside” shall refer to being closer to the body of the person and the position or direction “outside” shall refer to being farther away from the body. 

1. Outerwear having a plurality of straps arranged at a lower region of the outerwear and having a belt, wherein the belt is usable as a belt for trousers and the straps of the outerwear can simultaneously be brought into a holding engagement with the belt.
 2. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strap of the outerwear can be connected to the belt in a separable fashion by being foldable over along the lower belt edge.
 3. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the strap can be folded over inwardly from outside past the belt and along the lower belt edge, where it can be connected in separable fashion to an inwardly facing surface of the belt.
 4. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear is a winter jacket, wherein the winter jacket preferably comprises a snow protection and the snow protection comprises the at least one strap.
 5. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the outerwear to the belt comprises a Velcro connection.
 6. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear is a winter jacket and the winter jacket comprises a snow protection and the snow protection can be connected in separable fashion to the at least one strap and this connection comprises in particular a zipper.
 7. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear is a jacket or vest which comprises at least a back protector.
 8. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear has at least three, in particular at least four, straps and preferably six straps.
 9. Outerwear according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear has a maximum of ten, preferably a maximum of eight or fewer straps.
 10. Back protector having at least one strap and a belt, wherein the belt is usable as a belt for trousers and can simultaneously be meshed with a strap of the back protector.
 11. Clothing comprising outerwear according to claim 1, a belt and trousers, wherein the trousers comprise no joining elements for the direct and permanent connection of the trousers to the outerwear. 